Very well said mate! But I think we will still have a problem even if the majors ARE sorting some of us out. Sure any of us would LOVE to sign with a major, but what will that give us in return? The fact of the matter remains that if you don't have the internet, nobody will really ever know of your existence. If I wasn't on here I would have never known Cinderella or Dokken were rolling again......but even still....the mighty Portrait/Sony are not doing shit as far as radio promotion in my area....and I personally would like to know why.

Cindy was from around here (about 25 minutes away from me) and should be pushed to the max on PA radio.....but nothing. How will we ever get established if the radio staions don't let people know of our existence? Someone in the past was really trying to get me to tour the states. Without radio support, I would die. Nobody knows me other than our internet family. And if I were to sign with Sony, and fell flat on my ass, I'm sure I would be blackballed as the artist that couldn't do a thing with even a major behind him. So do we even take that chance if a Sony approaches us? Do we really need the pressure of being dropped when bands that are more established than I'll probably ever be aren't doing shit? This is why I would NEVER sign to a major unless major radio promotion was promised. I don't care about the money man. It's the effort and love that goes into it and then you find out you're tossed aside.

I'm still a firm believer that this music would go over fine if someone would just take a chance and play it! A song is a song, and let's face it, 90% of the AOR music we all know and love is as good or better than any of the classic favorites of the past. So the bottom line as far as I can see (and I've said this a billion times) we will continuously die unless we get promoted. Major label or indy....if nobody knows of your existence, and the net is the only place to get this info, you're still toast. Sony, Atlantic, or Z records......we're dead bro unless we get played. Sure we can make a nice little living on album sales and little appearences....but the artists know that isn't enough. I hate recording! I hate making albums! I hate the studio! Why you may ask? When I put my heart and soul into everything I do, and find out there won't be any airplay or a nice tour, I cringe man!!! I belong on the stage! That's why I do it. Not for the money, not for the fame, but to give the fans something back. A piece of myself in a live atmosphere that I feel the fans as well as myself get ripped off on when I can't tour.

How would you feel if you gave your life to a trade and never got a chance to show your abilities on a constant basis? Pretty shitty right? That's how I feel, and that's not meant as a negative comment against my label. It's just the way things are on the whole. Some of these artists on the AOR labels are absolute monsters and deserve the chance to shine! A good start would be for everyone that believes to call their local radio stations and continuously request material from their favorite bands. Bug the shit out of them!!!! And if your band has a release in the US, you have an even better chance to help some poor artist achieve their dream. I don't play favorites as you know. We as artists and fans are all in this together. Just like Z rock, nobody outshined anyone. We were all there for the same reasons and it should never be a competiton. So with the right support and the right amount of persistence from the believers, it can become a way of life and to me, that's the way it should be. I salute ALL the artists on all the labels for busting their asses. We're all in this together, we should make the best of things and make it work. All the best bro!